Question
Hi my question is? My little boy is 6 yrs old for four days now he is crying in pain with his stomach. I took him to the hospital they told me it was gastro will it wasn’t that. No better so i took him back again. This time they told me he was constipated gave him some Lactulosis and said it should work in 12hrs well it has now been 10hrs and nothing has changed still in pain crying. Could it be twisted bowels? should i also demand for a x-ray to be done on him? thank u.
Answer
Hello Carolyn,
It is good you have taken him to the doctor to rule out any serious problems. How is he feeling today? You can demand an x-ray, it is entirely up to you. Hopefully the doctor is correct and you can easily help him.
Constipation is a common problem in children.
Constipation can easily be remedied with appropriate food.
You can think of constipation in two ways. Things that cause constipation and things that reverse it. Simply increase the things that relieve constipation and decrease the amount of foods he is eating that cause constipation.
Things that cause constipation
Large meals
Some medications
Eating before bed (your body is busy cleansing, and should not be digesting food during sleep)
Not drinking enough water
Dairy products, these include all dairy, milk, ice cream, cheese and yogourt
Cooked meats
Sugar, sweets, cakes, white bread, white rice and other refined carbohydrates
Things that lessen constipation naturally
Drinking plenty of fresh water throughout the day, which is considered first aid for constipation!
High fibre, whole foods diet. Here the fibre comes from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds.
Highly unsaturated oils, flax, hemp, sunflower and olive oils
Fresh, raw fruits in particular are cleansing and help to cleanse and promote waste removal from the digestive tract: apples and applesauce, plums, grapes, raisins, naturally dried apricots, blueberries, cranberries are all good choices here
Leafy green vegetables provide an abundance of nutrients and fibre to clean and nourish his bowels; spinach, swiss chard, lettuce, kale, dandelion greens
Spicy foods, cayenne pepper, chili peppers and other hot foods
There are herbs that have laxative effects but tend to cause dependency, and for children, changing to fresh, raw foods always has a more beneficial effect overall.
Smoothies are a fantastic way to get children to eat nutritious foods. They can be made with leafy greens, oils, bananas and other fruit, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to provide antioxidant protection and aid in digestion. The natural oils in raw nuts and seeds, like cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and in flax and hemp oils, help to lubricate and nourish, and move things through a little faster. They have the added benefit of improving immunity and brain power!
Here are some recipes to try
Chai Green Smoothie
Hemp Milk and other Seed and Nut Milks
Chocolate Strawberry Hemp Smoothie
Basic Green Smoothie
Making your own salads and dressings is another quick and easy way to add raw, nutritious food to your family’s diet.
If he regularly eats dairy products and is missing them (they have a strong hormonal attraction) he can have plain yogourt, mixed with fresh raw fruit like tiny cubes of peaches or banana and natural sweetener like unpasteurized honey or maple syrup. The yogourt must have active bacterial cultures to be beneficial.
Please let us know how you make out and if he is feeling better by commenting below!
